Thanksgiving just didn't pan out for us this year. Sue had to study for her test, so we told the kids, "no meal this year!". I was thinking since we were not doing a meal that I would go work at the "Lord's Table" (a local shelter) but that didn't work out either. Since Sue was busy studying, I thought, "What can I do today? It is a beautiful day. I got it. HUNTING!" I hadn't hunted in probably 30 years. There's a story here...
I remembered back in time to when I was a kid down in the hills and hollars of Kentucky. I thought about how family got together. How they helped each other and everybody shared what they had. Life was good. Really.
I remembered after the Thanksgiving meal there was a kind of tradition that took place. No, we didn't sit down in front of the TV and watch the football game. Heck, nobody had a TV! We didn't even have electricity and I ain't so sure football was even invented yet. It was after all, Kentucky. You know, quoting Mark Twain, "If I knew for sure the world was going to end, I'd go to KY. It would be another 20 years till it happened there."
Back to tradition. After the meal the men would all go hunting. My Dad never hunted because he was crippled. He walked around OK...just couldn't go up and down the hills very well.
My Dad was a godly man, always sitting around reading the Bible. He would even take a swing at you with it, if he thought it was justified and it usually was. He was a good man. He helped everybody. A great role model. Maybe someday I'll be like him. (A ton of other memories flood in right now. Maybe other stories for other times...)
Hunting...My uncle Jess would lead the band of hunters as we went off on our expedition. Now Uncle Jess was a big man, 6'7", maybe 6'8". BIG man. He had a way about him when he was around, kinda intimidating. You just felt like when Uncle Jess was present that you best be doing something...anything. Just not standing there. He was really a kind and gentle man. We hunted rabbit and quail, mostly. Back then there was good hunting. Plenty of habitat then. Mostly gone now. Uncle Jess taught us kids how to hunt rabbit with a 22 cal. rifle. You walk, you jump the rabbit, he runs 20 -30 yards, stops, looks around and you "plink" him. He then becomes part of a fried rabbit, mashed potato and gravy dinner. MMMMMM
Fast forward to 2008. Yep, I am going hunting. Leaf hunting. Don't laugh! There's more to it than some people think. First, there is a hunting season...fall. You can't hunt them in the winter because they are mostly gone...migrated, I guess. You can't hunt them in the spring because they are too little. In the summer, they are all up in the trees.
Fall! That's the season! They are usually all on the ground by then and they are everywhere. Easy pickins.
The weapon of choice is usually a rake. Some people use a blower, but they just scatter everywhere. Rake works best. You will also need BIG plastic garbage bags. The process is easy. You find 'em, corral them up in a pile, so they can't go anywhere. Then you bag 'em and head home. Kinda like snipe hunting. Another story.
Unlike some critters that have a bag limit, not so with leaves. Bag all you want! If you don't have enough, bag your neighbor's. They don't care. All in all, I had a good day of hunting. I bagged 30 bags of leaves. Not bad, huh? You probably wouldn't believe me, but I have the pictures to prove it.
By the way. A couple things to mention: I hunt with a dog and that's an option. Another thing, don't take the kids. They hate it.
HAPPY HUNTING!
AFTER THE HUNT:
SUE'S THANKSGIVING DAY: (notice the look of total confusion)
COVER OF A MAGAZINE SUE GOT YESTERDAY: (how appropriate; she looks as confused as me!)
Jim and I hope you all had a GREAT Thanksgiving day! Thank you, God, for all of our many blessings!
